Seasonal suppers: no sting in the tail

At the recent launch of the Sligo Food Trail, I struck up a conversation with Bernie Clark from Bramble Lodge Foods. She told me that her son, who loves all things food-related, had requested from her an oxtail to cook with at home. She said it wasn't something she had seen in a long time.

It got me thinking about nose-to-tail eating, something that has been championed by Fergus Henderson at his St. John restaurant in London since the late 1990s. I remember eating there for the first time in the early 2000s and being blown away by his dedication to all things offal: heart, lungs, liver, kidneys and much more. It was all treated with great respect.

But have we turned away from this trend? Have we not rather recoiled from these “other” bits and relinquished them to another sphere?

Food should be more about culture than passing trends, and I was glad to hear that young cooks are still interested in the head, tail and everything in between.

Oxtail is certainly under used in the home and in industry. It has a lovely flavour and great meaty texture. Because it is one of the most used bits of the bull, it needs to be braised for a long period at a relatively low temperature to tenderise it.

I like to roast it on a high heat first to render the fat. This can be done by placing the seasoned oxtail medallions in a suitable oven tray and then browning them in an oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes.

When it is nice and caramelised, remove from oven. Add chopped onion, carrots and celery and cover with two bottles of Galway Hooker stout (or a suitable local replacement).

Place a lid on the pot (or cover it with both cling film and tinfoil. Braise for three to four hours at 160 degrees Celsius or five hours at 140 degrees. I love doing them overnight, at 100 degrees for 10 hours.

Whatever time and temperature you go for, remember it’s low and slow. Oxtail can’t be rushed. The meat needs to be very tender when it comes out of the oven. Serve with some buttery mashed potatoes.